Attendance

Parents play an important role in their children's educational success by ensuring they attend school every day. Regular school attendance is not only an important parental responsibility, it’s the law. Even when a student must miss class for a medical appointment, he or she should attend school for as much of the day as possible.

Mandatory Attendance

Attendance at school is mandatory. In addition, no pupil is permitted to leave school at recess or any other time before the regular hour of closing without the approval of the school principal or the designee. Violations will be considered as truancy (Administrative Reg. 5112.1).

Students under the age of 18 in the Garden Grove Unified School District are not permitted to leave school grounds while school is in session without consent of the parent or guardian, except in cases of medical emergency.

Note: Approval to release a student during the school day will be granted only to those persons listed on the Student Information and Emergency Form. Authorized persons must be able to present valid identification as a condition of the student’s release.

Attendance After Absence

A principal or teacher may require a satisfactory explanation from a parent or guardian of a pupil whenever the pupil is absent for all or part of the school day. The explanation is not required until the day after the absence (CCR, Title 5, Sec. 306).

Students who are 18 years old or older may verify their own absences with prior approval from a parent or guardian to the school administration (EC 46012).

Excused Absences

(a) Notwithstanding EC Section 48205, a pupil shall be excused from school when the absence is:

1. Due to his or her illness.
2. Due to quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer.
3. For the purpose of having medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic services rendered.
4. For the purpose of attending the funeral services of a member of his or her immediate family, so long as the absence is not more than one day if the service is conducted in California and not more than three days if the service is conducted outside California.
5. For the purpose of jury duty in the manner provided for by law.
6. Due to the illness or medical appointment during school hours of a child of whom the pupil is the custodial parent.
7. For justifiable personal reasons, including, but not limited to, an appearance in court, attendance at a funeral service, observance of a holiday or ceremony of his or her religion, attendance at religious retreats, attendance at an employment conference, or attendance at an educational conference on the legislative or judicial process offered by a nonprofit organization when the pupil’s absence is requested in writing by the parent or guardian and approved by the principal or a designated representative pursuant to uniform standards established by the governing board.
8. For the purpose of serving as a member of a precinct board for an election pursuant to Section 12302 of the Elections Code.

(b) A pupil absent from school under this section shall be allowed to complete all assignments and tests missed during the absence that can be reasonably provided and, upon satisfactory completion within a reasonable period of time, shall be given full credit therefor. The teacher of the class from which a pupil is absent shall determine which tests and assignments shall be reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the tests and assignments that the pupil missed during the absence.

(c) For purposes of this section, attendance at religious retreats shall not exceed four hours per semester.

(d) Absences pursuant to this section are deemed to be absences in computing average daily attendance and shall not generate state apportionment payments.

(e) "Immediate family," as used in this section, has the same meaning as that set forth in Section 45194, except that references therein to “employee” shall be deemed to be references to “pupil” (EC 48205).

Pursuant to EC 46010.1, school authorities may excuse any pupil in grades 7-12 from the school for the purpose of obtaining confidential medical services without the consent of the pupil’s parent or guardian.

Permissive Absences

The Garden Grove Unified School District encourages parents to arrange trips/vacations during non-school time parents are urged to consult the school year calendar at the GGUSD website at www.ggusd.us to avoid conflicts. Trips/vacations during school are discouraged because such interruptions hinder the student’s educational needs and are considered unexcused absences without prior approval from the principal. Prior arrangements must be made with the school administration when a student will miss class for a trip/vacation while school is in session.

Unexcused Absences

An unexcused absence is an absence which occurs with the knowledge and approval of the parent or guardian when there has been no prearranged agreement with the school administration for the absence.

Some examples of unexcused absences are: baby-sitting, working on a car, family vacation, getting a driver’s license, oversleeping, etc.